1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hair styling tools such as curling irons. In particular, the present invention relates to a method and kit for personalizing a hair styling tool (or set of tools) with identifying indicia.
2. Discussion of Background
Curling irons are popular hair styling tools, having been used by stylists for many years to help create pleasing hair styles. Prior to the advent of permanents, home hair dryers, and heated rollers, curling irons were a convenient alternative to rollers: curling irons can be used to style dry hair, whereas rollers can only be used on wet hair. More recently, curling irons have increased in popularity due to their inherent versatility: they can be used to straighten hair or curl it, to create waves or curls of varying degree depending on the size of the tongs, and to create styles that appear natural or xe2x80x9csetxe2x80x9d; they are indispensable for creating the customized styles demanded by many present-day consumers. Many consumers prefer using curling irons to avoid damaging their hair with sometimes-harsh chemical treatments such as straighteners and permanents.
Many different types of curling irons are available, ranging from the relatively simple, early 20th century electric curling irons popularized by Frangois Marcel to complex styling tools. Marcel obtained several U.S. patents for his curling irons, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,277,739, 1,662,834, and 1,893,503, which describe curling irons with handles covered by heat insulating material. Majors (U.S. Pat. No. 5,893,375) discloses a padded leather sleeve which is used as a heat insulator for the clamping lever of a curling iron. Additional such devices include Thaler, et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,604,514), a curling iron with selectively lockable, rotatable handles. The tips of the handles carry locking members which are used for locking the outer sleeves of the handles against rotation. Porter (U.S. Pat. No. 3,516,420) shows a combination curling and straightening iron with covered handles. The handles have tips made of a material that is a poor heat conductor. Quinio (U.S. Pat. No. 3,224,454) and Emsellem, et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 3,215,148) equip their curling irons with several different-sized tubes for producing different degrees of curl.
Professional hair stylists typically have their own, personal sets of styling tools and supplies, including curling irons as well as hair dryers, clippers, brushes, combs, shampoos and conditioners, and the like. The popularity of curling irons, coupled with their relatively small size and utilitarian appearance, frequently results in their loss or misplacement. Few hair stylists affix any kind of permanent, identifying indicia to tools such as curling irons, making it essentially impossible to distinguish one stylist""s tools from those of another stylist working in the same salon. In addition, stylists frequently borrow tools from each other, making it even more difficult to sort out which tool belongs where. Marking pens and tape can be useful for providing temporary identification, but writing tends to wear off and tape can easily be damaged or removed. Procedures such as engraving directly on the tool are possible, but tend to be relatively expensive and inconvenient.
Various schemes for identifying tools, accessories, and so forth are known. For example, Algaze (U.S. Pat. No. 3,965,590) provides an ID carrier for use with pool cues, golf clubs, and ski poles, and like items. This device is placed on the tip of the item, and includes a strip that carries identifying data. Lyon (U.S. Pat. No. 3,787,993) uses color-coded bands to identify the type of gas in a container. Brittain (U.S. Pat. No. 2,338,994) shows an electric fuse plug with a coded cap that carries an identifying number or other symbol that allows someone to identify the fuse. Morey (U.S. Pat. No. 1,858,410) describes a removable, colored marker that can be used to identify different types of yarn on a winding cone.
Several of the above-described curling irons appear to include a tip or cap on either the handles or the curling tongs. For example, Quinio shows a handle with an end cap, and Emsellem, et al. mount a plastic cap on the tip of a roller. However, the designers of known curling irons do not appear to have considered the problem of distinguishing hair styling tools that belong to one person from those belonging to another. There is a need for a simple, cost-effective method for retrofitting hair styling tools such as curling irons with identifying indicia.
According to its major aspects and broadly stated, the present invention includes a method for retrofitting tools such as curling irons with identifying indicia, and a device and kit for implementing the method. The device consists of a cap that carries identifying indicia in the form of a selected color or combination of colors, pattern, shape, or the like. The kit includes a plurality of such caps (all preferably carrying the same indicia), instructions for installing the caps on a tool, and (optionally) adapters for fitting the caps to tools with differently-sized handles. All items in the kit are simple and easy to make, easy to use, and inexpensive; thus, the kit provides a cost-effective route for personalizing tools that belong to a particular individual.
The cap is an important feature of the present invention. The cap, which is preferably made of rubber, plastic, or similar material, carries identifying indicia in the form of a color or combination of colors, letters or numbers, pattern, shape, or some other feature that allows a viewer to easily distinguish one cap from another with different indicia. A hair stylist can personalize her tools using a set of caps with selected indicia that differ from those used by other stylists working in the same salon, making them easier to distinguish and harder to misplace.
The kit is another feature of the present invention. The kit includes a sufficient number of caps for retrofitting at least one curling iron (or other suitable tool) and preferably enough caps for use with several such tools. Optionally, the kit also includes adapters for fitting the caps to handles of different sizes (i.e., different shapes, diameters, etc.). This feature allows the use of standard-sized caps with a wider range of handles than would otherwise be possible.
Still another feature of the present invention is the method for installing the cap, which is made of a flexible material such as plastic or rubber. In many cases, the cap can simply be press-fitted onto a handle; in other cases, an adapter may be needed to help secure the cap onto the handle. Installation is quick and easy, and provides a cost-effective means for identifying one""s own styling tools.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a careful reading of the Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments presented below and accompanied by the drawings.